I had the pleasure of driving to Toronto today to pick up a bed so my brother in-law has something to sleep on when he comes out our way over Christmas, and on my journey to (and from) Toronto, Crystal and I had some time to talk. On the way home we began to talk about her grandparents, and their "status" when it comes to faith. (ie: which side of the fence they are on.) Which brought up some questions in my mind. What makes someone a Christian? Could it be that you just say a prayer and it's done? What if you say the prayer but don't mean it? What if you never say the prayer? How come Jesus never led anyone through the sinners prayer? If his disciples never prayed the prayer, does that mean they don't go to heaven? Your eternal destination cannot rest on one little prayer can it? What about if you pray the prayer and you go on to live a life that is in no way "Christian"? Can you lose your salvation?
If it's more about the condition of the heart, then does the fact you repeated after the pastor have any bearing on your salvation? Wouldn't that make it a works based salvation?
What makes someone a Christian anyway? You've got so many different "portraits" of what it means to be a Christian. You've got Creflo Dollar at one end of the spectrum. Prosperity gospel is his schtick. Name it and claim it! What about Mother Teresa? She went and lived in the slums of Calcutta. One says God wants you to own that mansion and drive that nice car. One says we need to be reaching the poor, because "in the poor we meet Jesus in the most distressing disguises." So which one of them has it nailed? What does it mean to be a fully devoted Christian?
Who's right? The person that is constantly seeking more of the Holy Spirit, (filling their cup), handing out tracts and sharing the good news with everyone they come across? Or the person that spends their weekends working with special needs kids and loving them in the name of Jesus?
I'm not sure I have the right answer.
I work for a Christian radio station...
I call myself a Christian...
Often I read my Bible out of obligation, not because I want to...
I go through periods where I don't crack open my Bible for weeks...
I know I have so much, yet I crave more...
I find ways to rationalize my sin...
I blame others for my short-comings...
I'm a crappy Christian with more questions than answers...
BUT I know there is a God who loves me more than I could ever imagine, and that even when I give up on myself, he still sees the best in me. One thing I know for sure: I Am Loved!
If you have all the answers I think there is something wrong. I think asking questions is vital to growth and progression.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I don't have many answers either. If you find some, let me know.
Chew on this one:
ReplyDeleteSay my Mom is extremely sick in the hospital. I pray for her and she gets better. (Yay!) Was she healed because I prayed? If I didn't pray would she still have been healed?
If God healed her because I prayed, did I change his sovereign mind?
If God would have healed her without my prayers, does prayer really matter?
P.S. - Stumped? So am I.
I believe it's all about balance. Like Paul says, faith without works is dead, and works without faith is empty. [I paraphrased]
ReplyDeleteLook at Jesus. He lived a balanced life. He did good works for sure, but he also spent a lot of time with his father.
I think we've created a religious program, that sometimes takes away from the wild nature of Jesus.
ReplyDeleteWe have developed "Steps to Christianity and Spiritual Maturity." We take people through these steps, and they must be done in the correct order to become a follower of Jesus.
If you read the Bible, Jesus had one step... Come follow me.
It's funny how we assume people in "ministry" read their Bible everyday and are pretty much sinless. So not true.
ReplyDeleteIt got to the point where it was so bad I had to leave "ministry" because I couldn't handle all the hypocrisy in the "ministry" I was in.
I think it has to deal with the heart. If you're heart is truly right, then you will follow in the footsteps of Jesus and not stray.
ReplyDeleteI think as Christians we over-concern ourselves about what we think about other Christians. In the last year, God has told me to "look in the mirror and fix that first". So I figure, once I have the guy in the mirror fixed, then I can worry about fixing other people. (If that day ever comes.)
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, we don't always have to fix people or correct people just because we disagree. We can still love them and befriend them.
I think there comes a point when we become like the people we hang out with so there needs to be a balance with our choice of friends. Those we are impacting, and those who are impacting us.
First though, we should give everyone a break - life is hard enough without being criticized by other Christians.
That's my answer - but I forgot the question.
Scott